Sam Sicilia

Samuel Travis Sicilia (born February 1, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the featherweight division for Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2007, Sicilia formerly competed for the UFC, and was on FX's The Ultimate Fighter: Live.

Sam Sicilia
BornSamuel Travis Sicilia
(1986-02-01) February 1, 1986
Spokane, Washington, United States
NationalityAmerican
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight146 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st)
DivisionLightweight
Featherweight
Reach67 in (170 cm)[1]
Fighting out ofSpokane, Washington, United States
TeamSikjitsu
Years active2007–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total28
Wins17
By knockout8
By submission4
By decision5
Losses11
By knockout3
By submission6
By decision2
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Background

Born and raised in Spokane, Washington, Sicilia competed in wrestling at Mt. Spokane High School and now works as an assistant coach for the team.[2][3]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Sicilia began training in MMA in 2007, taking his first amateur fights late in the year and amassed a 4-1 record before turning professional shortly after. Following his first professional win he took a nearly four-year break from fighting. He then returned in 2011, and went 9-1 fighting for several regional promotions in the Northwestern United States.

The Ultimate Fighter

In February 2012, it was revealed that Sicilia was selected to be a participant on The Ultimate Fighter: Live.[4] Sicilia defeated Dominick Cruz training partner, Erin Beach, via an eight-second KO to move into the Ultimate Fighter house, and become an official cast member.[5]

Sicilia was selected as the second pick (third overall) by Dominick Cruz to take part on Team Cruz. In the first round of the tournament, Sicilia was selected to fight former Bellator Fighting Championships fighter, Chris Saunders. Sicilia lost the fight via split decision after two rounds. The decision was heavily disputed by many, including UFC president Dana White who claimed, "I think Sicilia got robbed of the opportunity of going to a third round, though. But great fight."[6]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Sicilia made his UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale on June 1, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada against TUF castmate, Cristiano Marcello.[7] He won the fight via KO in the second round. After the win Sicilia expressed interest in returning to the featherweight division.

Sicilia dropped to the featherweight division and faced Rony Jason on October 13, 2012 at UFC 153.[8] Sicilia lost via second-round TKO due to punches.

Sicilia next face Maximo Blanco on April 13, 2013 at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale.[9] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Sicilia was expected to face Godofredo Pepey on September 4, 2013 at UFC Fight Night 28.[10] However, Pepey pulled out of the bout citing an injury and was replaced by Felipe Arantes.[11] Subsequently, Sicilia also pulled out of the bout for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Kevin Souza.[12]

The bout with Pepey eventually took place on November 9, 2013 at UFC Fight Night 32.[13] Sicilia won the fight via TKO in the first round.[14]

Sicilia faced Cole Miller on January 15, 2014 at UFC Fight Night 35.[15] He lost the fight via submission in the second round.

Sicilia was expected to face promotional newcomer Doo Ho Choi on May 24, 2014 at UFC 173.[16] However, Choi pulled out of the bout citing an injury.[17] Sicilia instead faced promotional newcomer Aaron Phillips. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Sicilia faced Katsunori Kikuno at UFC Fight Night 52 on September 20, 2014.[18] He lost the fight via submission in the second round.

Sicilia next fought Akira Corassani on January 24, 2015 at UFC on Fox 14.[19] Sicilia won the fight via KO in the first round.[20]

A rescheduled bout with Doo Ho Choi was expected to take place on July 15, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 71.[21] However, Choi pulled out of the fight in late June for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Yaotzin Meza.[22][23] Sicilia won the fight by unanimous decision.[24]

A bout with Choi was scheduled a third time and took place on November 21, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 79.[25] Sicilia lost the bout via TKO in the first round.[26]

Sicilia next faced Gabriel Benítez on September 17, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 94.[27] He lost the fight via submission in the second round.[28]

Sicilia faced promotional newcomer Gavin Tucker on February 19, 2017 at UFC Fight Night 105.[29] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[30]

In May 2017, Sicilia was released from the company.

Bellator MMA

On August 17, 2017, it was announced that Sicilia signed with Bellator MMA.[31]

Sicilia faced former Bellator champion Marcos Galvão at Bellator 189 on December 1, 2017.[32] He won the fight by unanimous decision.

In his second fight for the promotion, Sicilia faced Emmanuel Sanchez at Bellator 198 on April 28, 2018. He lost the fight via arm-triangle choke submission in the first round.[33]

In his third fight for the promotion, Sicilia faced Derek Campos at Bellator 212 on December 14, 2018. He won the back-and-forth fight by split decision.

In April 2019, news surfaced that Sicilia had signed a new exclusive, multi-fight contract with Bellator.[34]

Bellator Featherweight grand prix

In the initial round of Bellator's Featherweight GP, Sicilia lost to Pedro Carvalho at Bellator 226 due to a Face crank on September 7, 2019.[35]

Post-GP

Sicilia faced Robert Whiteford at Bellator London 2 on November 23, 2019. Despite dropping Whiteford multiple times during the bout, Whiteford came back and knocked Sicilia out with only six seconds left in the final round.[36]

Film and television

Sicilia was featured in the award-winning mixed martial arts documentary Fight Life, the film is directed by James Z. Feng and released in 2013.[37]

Sam and his wife Lyndsie have a daughter, Sienna Noel who was born on July 4, 2018.[35]

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
28 matches 17 wins 11 losses
By knockout 8 3
By submission 4 6
By decision 5 2
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 17–11 Robert Whiteford KO (punches) Bellator London 2 November 23, 2019 3 4:54 London, England
Loss 17–10 Pedro Carvalho Submission (face crank) Bellator 226 September 7, 2019 2 1:56 San Jose, California, United States Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix Opening Round.
Win 17–9 Derek Campos Decision (split) Bellator 212 December 14, 2018 3 5:00 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Loss 16–9 Emmanuel Sanchez Submission (arm-triangle choke) Bellator 198 April 28, 2018 1 3:52 Rosemont, Illinois, United States
Win 16–8 Marcos Galvão Decision (unanimous) Bellator 189 December 1, 2017 3 5:00 Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States
Loss 15–8 Gavin Tucker Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Browne February 19, 2017 3 5:00 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Loss 15–7 Gabriel Benítez Technical Submission (guillotine choke) UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Johnson September 17, 2016 2 1:20 Hidalgo, Texas, United States
Loss 15–6 Doo Ho Choi KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Masvidal November 28, 2015 1 1:33 Seoul, South Korea
Win 15–5 Yaotzin Meza Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee July 15, 2015 3 5:00 San Diego, California, United States
Win 14–5 Akira Corassani KO (punch) UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson January 24, 2015 1 3:26 Stockholm, Sweden
Loss 13–5 Katsunori Kikuno Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson September 20, 2014 2 1:38 Saitama, Japan
Win 13–4 Aaron Phillips Decision (unanimous) UFC 173 May 24, 2014 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 12–4 Cole Miller Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Philippou January 15, 2014 2 1:54 Duluth, Georgia, United States
Win 12–3 Godofredo Pepey TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson November 9, 2013 1 1:42 Goiânia, Brazil
Loss 11–3 Maximo Blanco Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Finale April 13, 2013 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 11–2 Rony Jason TKO (punches) UFC 153 October 13, 2012 2 4:16 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Featherweight debut.
Win 11–1 Cristiano Marcello KO (knees and punches) The Ultimate Fighter: Live Finale June 1, 2012 2 2:53 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 10–1 Arley George KO (punch) Conquest of the Cage 10 December 15, 2011 1 0:25 Airway Heights, Washington, United States
Win 9–1 Jared Haller TKO (punches) Caged Conflict November 12, 2011 1 0:25 Canyonville, Oregon, United States
Win 8–1 Josiah Mitchell KO (punch) CageSport 16 October 1, 2011 1 0:29 Tacoma, Washington, United States
Win 7–1 Dominic Rivera Submission (rear-naked choke) Fight Night Round 16 August 13, 2011 1 2:38 Anacortes, Washington, United States
Win 6–1 Josh Snodgrass Submission (rear-naked choke) Caged Combat 4 July 29, 2011 1 1:48 Grand Ronde, Oregon, United States
Win 5–1 Angel Diaz KO (punch) Lords of the Cage 7 July 16, 2011 1 3:35 Manson, Washington, United States
Loss 4–1 Daniel Swain Submission (rear-naked choke) Lords of the Cage 6 June 10, 2011 1 2:37 Yakima, Washington, United States
Win 4–0 Charon Spain Submission (neck crank) Lords of the Cage 5 April 28, 2011 1 4:03 Airway Heights, Washington, United States
Win 3–0 Marc Forsyth Submission (rear-naked choke) Rumble on the Ridge 17 March 5, 2011 2 4:07 Snoqualmie, Washington, United States
Win 2–0 Jason Gybels KO (punches) Rumble on the Ridge 16 January 15, 2011 1 2:54 Snoqualmie, Washington, United States
Win 1–0 Brian Clayton Decision (unanimous) Combat Caged Warriors 4 September 15, 2007 3 5:00 Tri-Cities, Washington, United States

Mixed martial arts exhibition record
Professional record breakdown
2 matches 1 win 1 loss
By knockout 1 0
By submission 0 0
By decision 0 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 1–1 Chris Saunders Decision (split) The Ultimate Fighter: Live April 27, 2012 2 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 1–0 Erin Beach KO (punch) The Ultimate Fighter: Live March 9, 2012 1 0:08 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

See also

References
  1. "Fight Card - UFC Fight Night Mir vs. Duffee". UFC.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  2. http://www.khq.com/story/25606878/local-mma-fighters-chiesa-sicilia-victorious-in-ufc-173
  3. http://m.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/09/blanchette-local-men-get-shot-on-the-ultimate/
  4. "'The Ultimate Fighter 15' cast unveiled with 32 lightweight fighters". MMAJunkie.com. February 27, 2012. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  5. "Mixed martial arts results, Season 15 - The Ultimate Fighter" (PDF). State of Nevada, Department of Business and Industry Athletic Commission. March 9, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 17, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  6. "Dana White: Sam Sicilia deserved a third round on 'TUF: Live'". MMAJunkie.com. April 28, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
  7. "TUF Live Finale adds Marcello-Sicilia". MMAJunkie.com. May 23, 2012. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
  8. "Rony 'Jason' Mariano Bezerra meets Sam Sicilia at UFC 153". mmajunkie.com. July 25, 2012.
  9. Staff (February 16, 2013). "TUF 17 Finale Adds Maximo Blanco vs. Sam Sicilia". mmaweekly.com.
  10. Christoffer Esping (July 12, 2013). "Godofredo 'Pepey' Castro möter Sam Sicilia på UFC on FOX Sports 1 #3". mmanytt.se.
  11. Staff (2013-07-18). "Felipe Arantes Steps in to Replace Injured Godofredo Pepey at UFC Fight Night 28 on FS1". mmaweekly.com. Retrieved 2013-07-18.
  12. Guilherme Cruz (2013-08-07). "Edimilson Souza replaces Sam Sicilia, will fight Felipe Arantes at UFC Fight Night 28". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
  13. Ivan Raupp (2013-09-12). "Duelo entre Pepey e Sam Sicilia é remarcado para o UFC em Goiânia (Brazilian Portuguese)". sportv.globo.com. Retrieved 2013-09-12.
  14. Matt Erickson (2013-11-10). "UFC Fight Night 32 results: Sam Sicilia snaps skid, drills Godofredo Pepey". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  15. Mike Whitman. "UFC Returns to Georgia in January with Cole Miller-Sam Sicilia". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  16. Matt Erickson (2014-02-21). "Sam Sicilia meets newcomer Doo Ho Choi at UFC 173 in May". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  17. B Wylie (2014-04-20). "Doo Ho Choi injured, out of next months Featherweight clash with Sam Sicilia at UFC 173". fightsportasia.com. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  18. Damon Martin (2014-07-01). "Sam Sicilia vs Katsunori Kikuno at 145lbs at UFC Fight Night in Japan". Twitter. Retrieved 2014-07-01.
  19. Lee W (2014-12-04). "Akira Corassani vs Sam Sicilia joins UFC on FOX 14 lineup". mmacrazytv.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-17. Retrieved 2014-12-04.
  20. Steven Marrocco (2015-01-24). "UFC on FOX 14 results: Sam Sicilia gets big first-round KO of Akira Corassani". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-01-24.
  21. LeeLi (2015-05-06). "Choi Doo-Ho will have his next match against Sam Sicilia at UFC Fight Night 71 on July 15, 2015 in San Diego, California". mma-in-asia.com. Retrieved 2014-05-06.
  22. Staff (2015-06-28). "Doo Ho Choi forced out of featured UFC Fight Night 71 prelim". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-06-28.
  23. Staff (2015-07-01). "Yaotzin Meza steps in as late replacement at UFC Fight Night 71 in San Diego". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  24. Dann Stupp (2015-07-15). "UFC Fight Night 71 results: Yaotzin Meza no match for Sam Sicilia". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  25. Staff (2015-09-01). "Doo Ho Choi vs. Sam Sicilia added to UFC Fight Night 79". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-09-01.
  26. Ben Fowlkes (2015-11-28). "UFC Fight Night 79 results: Doo Ho Choi stops Sam Sicilia in 93 seconds". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-11-28.
  27. Staff (2016-07-18). "UFC Fight Night 94 adds four bouts". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  28. Staff (2016-09-17). "Gabriel Benítez puts Sam Sicilia to sleep with UFC Fight Night 94 submission". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  29. Jonathan Briggins (2017-01-29). "'Ramped up the intensity:' Hometown favourite Gavin Tucker gearing up for UFC debut in Halifax". metronews.ca. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
  30. Steven Marrocco (2017-02-19). "UFC Fight Night 105 results: Gavin Tucker runs circles around Sam Sicilia for easy UFC debut win". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-02-19.
  31. "'TUF 15' Veteran Sam Sicilia Hopes to Find More Consistency After Signing with Bellator MMA".
  32. Matt Erickson and John Morgan (October 24, 2017). "Sam Sicilia vs. Marcos Galvao, Alexis Dufresne vs. Amber Leibrock set for Bellator 189". mmajunkie.com.
  33. "Bellator 198 results: Emmanuel Sanchez submits Sam Sicilia in first round". MMAjunkie. 2018-04-29. Retrieved 2018-04-29.
  34. Tristen Critchfield (April 15, 2019). "Tyrell Fortune, Romero Cotton, Sam Sicilia Sign Multi-Fight Extensions with Bellator MMA". sherdog.com.
  35. Nolan King (September 1, 2019). "Sam Sicilia sees 'TUF: Live' experience as advantage heading into Bellator grand prix". mmajunkie.com.
  36. Simon Head (November 23, 2019). "Bellator Europe 6 results: Michael Page steals show with one-hitter quitter in London". mmajunkie.com.
  37. Fight Life: MMA Documentary
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